Chupacabra: Alien or Familiar? Itís Neither. New reports suggest that the farmers of Nicaragua are barking up the wrong tree because their alleged Chupacarcass is a common dog. It may be a dog, but is it so common? Does the trail of the dead Chupacabra lead to a dead end?Of Course not.

The various Chupacabra stories are now beginning to turn into an obsession for me and so now I am going to further my theory that we are not dealing with an alien creature, but an earthly creature that we could have possibly overlooked.

This does not in any way devalue the sightings of such a creature, however I ask the investigative authorities to please not dismiss the case or else something that deserves further study could end up in a tabloid sandwiched somewhere between Batboy, and Michael Jacksonís nose job.

The investigation, it seems is being dismissed. The plot thickens and some people will now be satisfied that what was shot was a wild dog. Ground Zero urges everyone to keep calm and have an open mind about what is out there. However when I say open mind I am not insinuating that every theory is correct, but every theory should be explored and scrutinized with the data in hand.

In most cases we measure things by what we are. We make hypothesis based on our beliefs. We cling to prejudice and stereotypes and base our opinions from those vantage points. I am busily looking at all of the data that is coming in about the dead Chupacabra of Nicaragua, or what I affectionately call the Chupacarcass. What I am seeing reminds me of the parable of the blind men and the elephant:

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant (Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation Might satisfy his mind.

The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side, ~ At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant ~ Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, "Ho! what have we here?
So very round and smooth and sharp? To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant ~ Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands, ~ Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant ~ Is very like a snake!"
The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like ~ Is mighty plain," quoth her;
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant ~ Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most; ~ Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant ~ Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail ~ That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant ~ Is very like a rope!

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion ~ Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right ~ And all were in the wrong!

When it comes to Cryptozoology many find that it is always wise to suggest what might be out there because of the varying degrees of circumstantial evidence. Outrageous theories are big business and in the apocalypse business is good.

In the Nicaragua case there was no evidence to show that the Chupacabra in question was an alien. There was no suggestion of wings as in the cases of Chupacabra sightings in Puerto Rico. I found this most fascinating and I also found it to be irritating in the same way. Because now we go back to the idea that one measures a circle beginning anywhere and once the circle is measured we find that sometimes it is difficult to know where we began and where we ended.

Sometimes it is important to say that perhaps "We Just donít know all the answers" sometimes things are better left unknown.

We have the latest report s that suggests that the Chupacabra that was shot was a simple dog.

However others say that if it was a dog, then why was the skin that remained on the skeleton "reptile like" and why are there discrepancies between the normal Canine and the alleged Chupacarcass? There is also reason to believe that the skeletal remains of the Chupacabra were switched and that they were replaced with the skeleton of a common dog. This isnít out of the question if you compare photos that have been produced out of Nicaragua and if you view video that has been produced all over the world . If you have been following the case the testimony from the very beginning stated that this animal was far from being ordinary. Now it seems that the extraordinary find has been minimized to suggest an overreaction from everyone involved.

I am theorizing, and I stress theorizing that perhaps the Chupacabra is some sort of living fossil that has abilities and traits that mimic the ancestral dog that was in transition millions of years ago. I say that perhaps what was seen in Nicaragua was a Thrinaxodon. However if you trace back the origins of such a creature you will find that its cousin, the Dimetrodon fits the description of the creature seen in Puerto Rico. The creature is about the size of a common dog with plumage or protuberances that stick out from the back of the creature.

Here now is a diagram that can demonstrate what I meanó

Now demonstrating amalgams of crypto critters is nothing new and my theory could all be absurd, but what can you say about a creature that seems to have the characteristics of a Kangaroo on one hand, a dog on the other, flight capabilities like a Pterodactyl and the predatory attributes of a mythical vampire on the other?

I can say that perhaps everyone is seeing the same thing but is projecting different attributes about the creature. This has been done before with a legendary creature called the New Guinea ROW. This creature was an amalgam of many creatures such as Diplodocus, Triceratops, and the Stegosaurus.

The creature of course does not exist and the only people who claim to have seen it was white settlers and never by the New Guinea natives.

I laugh when I read headlines that say "Carcass not of the Chupacabra Scientists say" as if they know what one is or as if they have a Chupacabra to compare it to for study. As far as we know they do not have one in captivity, or at least they deny they do.

The absurdities that I see in this case are all of the projected theories that try to pin the Chupacabra to all things paranormal instead of all things cryptozoological.

According to eyewitnesses in Nicaragua we do not have an alien being, to biologists and doctors it looks like we have a dog, to religious zealots we have a demonic manifestation and to armchair laymen youíd think we were hunting the Chimera.

Others have said that it may be the result of some Bio-engineering experiment gone awry and to that theory I say that it can be very possible that this could happen knowing how man can make mistakes with his newly found abilities to manipulate creation.

Lets look at what has been said about the creature:

"It's a dog, without any room for doubt," "It's an ordinary female dog. All our investigations didn't show any anomaly. It's a dog." -- Edmundo Torres the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua

" Looks like a cross between a wolf and a crocodile" ĖUnnamed eyewitness

That animal that was discovered in that rural zone was different from a mere dog Its teeth were rose-colored. It reared up on its hind legs and sucked the blood from at least 120 sheep." ĖLuis Talavera, (The farmer who claims to have shot the alleged Chupacabra)

It could be a hybrid animal made up of several species, created in a laboratory by genetic engineering"-- Gioconda Chťvez, veterinarian of Malpaisillo.

Itís a wake cup call signaling the end of the world. The light is yellow, but it could change to red at any moment, It's a signal to men and women that we're going home to God."óProtestant Minister Francisco Ortiz

My theory is just another theory however it seems that when you put it up for scrutiny it holds up particularly well when you learn that-The Thrinaxodon was a lightly built animal about 1 1/2 feet long. The limbs and limb girdles were strongly built; the body was raised well off the ground. Thrinaxodon was probably a quickly moving predator. It is not certain whether Thrinaxodon possessed a reptilian skin or hair, whether it cared for its young, or even whether it laid eggs or gave birth to live offspring.

We have heard in reports about the alleged Chupacarcass that it had strong limbs. The farmer claims that it could rear on its hind legs. That its is fast moving and dog like. That it had reptile skin and some hair.

In the reports from Chile the Chupacabra laid eggs. It adds up pretty well doesnít it? Now is the Chupacabra of Nicaragua and Chile, and Puerto Rico the same breed? Probably not. However we may be dealing with cousins.

This is outrageous I know, but look at the circumstantial characteristics of these creatures and then tell me if I am wrong.

The Theraspid reptiles all had different traits and all resided in various parts of the earth. Mainly in North America, South America and South Africa.

The Chupacabra of Puerto Rico had spines or protrusions on his back that look similar to the Dimetrodon genus of the predatory Pelycosaur, a mammal-like reptile, that was found all over in North America in the Permian period 280 million years ago. It had a large dorsal sail with supporting spines or quills that it used to regulate the animal's body temperature.

Hmmm, sound familiar? The Puerto Rican Chupacabra has been described as a small creature with reptile skin, quills on its back, and a dog like face, with a body that resembles a Kangaroo. Similar to Dimetrodon.

The Nicaraguan Chupacabra has been described as "dog like" with no ears, sharp teeth, reptile like skin. Thin tail, maybe some hair and appears to be a cross between a wolf and a crocodile. Similar to Thrinaxodon.

Outrageous you say? Improbable you say, well I agree with you, but can you ignore the coincidence? What if Jurassic Park is more than a movie? What if we have been able to clone and eventually release living dinosaurs?

Is it possible? Well sure. Is it probable? Itís not out of the question. I know that it is hard to imagine niches in the natural scheme of things but how can a creature posses the same traits as creatures that may have lived in the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras? Maybe its because some of the creatures that have yet to be discovered really didnít change all that much in the millions of years afterward.

We know that the dense forested areas of South America and South Africa went virtually unchanged after the extinction level event wiped out the majority of Sauropod species.

This would explain the existence of such creatures as the Komodo Dragon. The Tuatara, the Megamouth Shark, the Coelacanth, and the common crocodile.

In 1992 Giant Elephants in Nepal have been discovered and may even represent surviving Stegodonts supposedly long extinct!

How did that happen? It was impossible until it just happened. Are you still giggling? Are you laughing? Are you ignoring the possibility?

The Chupacabra should remain as a cryptid until further evidence suggests that it is otherwise. It hasnít been proven to be a creature from another planet or from another dimension so why project this until we know for sure?

I say that it taints he very investigation of such a creature and forces scientist to dismiss it as an icon of rural folklore.

For me, the Chupacabra represents an interesting journey into the studies of living dinosaurs. Something that lurks in the shadows of twilight reality forcing me to think, research and wonder.

Writing off the Chupacabra as a dog or an alien is far too easy and I think leads the investigation into a dead end.

I once laughed at the Chupacabra for its absurdity and cartoonish possibilities however now it seems that an ironic twist has left me once again realizing that something or someone strange is always pulling the strings and whatever that someone or something is, may be a few bricks short of a load.

If a lunatic is running this asylum then crazy theories such as mine are just more grist for the mill.

So break out in derisive giggles and play along at home because the Chupacabra is not dead, he sleeps in the darkness and is never shy when it comes to feeding time.

In contemplating such anomalies we either shiver with fright or laugh at it claiming that it is sheer bunk. However we can clearly see that it is linked and while the authorities scoff and say the Chupacabra cannot be real Ė the truth is that in the minds of the farmers whose sheep and farm animals have been exanginated the Chupacabra is real.

I will not argue with the farmer who has his gun loaded waiting for the next time.

Buenos noches y Suenos.

For follow-up reports to the Chupacabra stories you can go to the Ground Zero investigation "Chupacabra Muerte" a fully diagramed theory about the Chupacabra.

You may also read the Ground Zero article "The Discovery of the Beast" an account of the possibility of living fossils and evidence that they have been found and that there are many animals yet to be discovered.

Ground Zero also recommends that you browse through and read the following websites regarding the eyewitness accounts and diagrams of other researchers. Some of the best coverage of this topic has been laid out at Daveís Cosmic Conspiracies.

Ground Zero also gratefully acknowledges Jaime Maussan who continues to be an inspiration and has always been a treasure to the Latin American people with his journalistic integrity and professionalism on matters dealing with OVNIís and paranormal activities in Mexico and South America.

Special thanks also goes out to Gerry at Farshores News in the UK, Foster VS of Shadiepines, Rob McConnell of The X-Zone Olav Phillips of Anomalies.net Tessa Peters and MaxxDamage who makes everything easy on the eyes! F.U.M.S.